NASS’s obnoxious bills

By Femi Oluwasanmi

SIR: While Nigerians continue to endure the pains of economic quagmire, security breakdown and subversion of majority will on spurious technicalities, the 9th National Assembly continues to sponsor obnoxious bills to suit their personal interests and in some cases further divide the people.

On February 25, a bill seeking immunity for principal officers of the national and state houses of assemblies moved to the second reading at the floor of House of Representatives. The bill according to Olusegun Odebunmi, lawmaker representing Ogo-Oluwa/Surulere Federal Constituency of Oyo State will alter Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution by extending immunity to cover presiding officers of legislative houses.

Section 308, subsection 2 of the constitution stipulates that: (a) No civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted or continued against a person to who this section applies during his period of office; (b) A person to whom this section applies shall not be arrested or imprisoned during that period either in pursuance of the process of any court or otherwise and (c) No process of any court requiring or compelling the appearance of a person to whom this section applies shall be applied for or issued. Specifically, the subsection 3 of the section spells out those to enjoy the privilege of immunity from persecution as the president, the vice president, governors and deputy governors

The bill poses great danger to the nation’s development because it will open floodgates for the remaining legislators to demand for the same privilege in future. Should that happen, our lawmaking chambers will automatically become safe havens for the corrupt; elected officials who might have looted the treasury of their states while in office.

Even the little drop of development the people enjoy from constituency projects through persuasion and divine intervention would cease because most lawmakers would steal with impunity.

In 2019, one of the lawmakers proposed a bill seeking death penalty for hate speech while those that steal the nation’s wealth continue to move around freely without any fear of death. Ordinarily, one would have expected the lawmaker to propose a bill seeking death penalty for corruption since there is a strong nexus between corruption and poverty.

The World Bank in her recent report claimed that 87 percent of the poor people in Nigeria reside in the North; yet some representatives in the region continue to propose obnoxious bills. For instance, the lawmaker representing Yobe East in the Senate, Ibrahim Gaidam on February 20, proposed a bill seeking a special agency for the repentant Boko Haram while the victims of Boko Haram’s activities continue to live in fear and poverty.

While Nigerians continue to endure the pains from the reality on ground, our lawmakers should seek to relieve their pains by coming up with anti-poverty and people-oriented bills. They should stop entertaining themselves with obnoxious bills and other matters that negate the reason for their election.

• Femi Oluwasanmi, Ibafo, Ogun State.